The Summer may be a distant memory, or if you live where I do, it never really happened in the first place. So I decided to re-create summer in the kitchen! These lemon and raspberry cupcakes are the most lemony, raspberry(y?) cupcakes you’ll ever have. Trust me. They are light, fluffy and have just the right amount of lemon tang. Whenever these are around, they don’t last long!
The fresh raspberries and lemon do all the talking here. There is no artificial food colouring or flavouring in these babies, just a full on dose of zinginess and sweetness. I have always had a bit of an obsession with citrus, so a lemon cupcake that makes your lips purse just the right amount is, to me, the perfect cake. This batter is smooth and more runny than thick. I use an ice cream scoop to get equal amounts into the cups – the cases should be no more than 1/2 – 2/3 full with batter, or they will overflow.
The cupcakes are drizzled with the worlds easiest lemon syrup, taking advantage of that crucial just-warm-from-the-oven stage, allowing them to soak up every drop of lemony flavour and stay moist. I really mean it when I say these cupcakes are full on flavour!
To top off this sticky cake is the most fresh raspberry frosting ever. The only flavour and colour comes straight from raspberries, with just a touch of cream cheese for extra smoothness. I piped these ones in a simple traditional swirl, but just smoothed on with a knife would work well. In terms of decoration I kept it simple with just a few fresh raspberries and a mint leaf for some colour, but you can get creative – add some lemon slices or go crazy with sprinkles if you want! Let me know if you have a go at making these and share the results with me!
Go on… take a bite
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Lemon and Raspberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
80g Unsalted Butter
280g Caster Sugar
240g All Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
2 Large Eggs
1 Tsp Salt
240ml Whole Milk
Zest of 1 Lemon
Lemon Syrup
Juice of 1 Lemon
2 Tbsp Caster Sugar
Buttercream
80g Butter, softened
150g Cream Cheese at room temperature
730g Icing Sugar
2-3 Tbsp Raspberry Puree
Optional Mint leaves for decoration
Steps
1. Preheat an oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line a 12 hole muffin tin with large cupcake liners or muffin liners.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. This should take around 2 minutes in a stand mixer or with an electric handheld mixer.
3. Add the eggs 1 at a time a mix thoroughly until fully combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl after each addition to ensure the eggs are fully incorporated.
4. In another bowl combine the flour, salt and baking powder and mix thoroughly to ensure there is an even distribution of ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the egg and butter mixture, alternating with milk until all the ingredients are combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl after each addition. Do not over-mix at this stage, and if you are using a standing mixer, keep it on a low speed. Stir in the lemon zest at the end.
5. Fill the cupcake or muffin liners between 1/2 – 2/3 full. Any more and the cakes will overflow.
6. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean, and the tops of the cakes are golden brown and spring back when gently pressed.
7. While the cupcakes are baking, juice 1 lemon and add to a small saucepan. Add 2 tbsp caster sugar to the lemon juice and cook on a low to medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved. Cook for a further 1 minute and pour into a small bowl to cool. When the cupcakes are just out of the oven and still in the muffin tray, use a cocktail stick or kebab stick to make several holes in the cupcakes and spoon 1 tsp of syrup onto the cake. Doing this while the cupcakes are still hot allows them to absorb the syrup and infuse without becoming soggy.
8. To make the buttercream, put the butter in a stand alone mixer and beat on high speed for a good 4-5 minutes. While this is beating, press enough raspberries through a sieve to create 2-3 Tablespoons of puree. Once the butter is looking very pale, gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated. At this stage the mixture will be powdery but don’t panic! Next add the cream cheese and mix on high speed for a further 1 minute. Finally add 2-3 tablespoons of the raspberry puree you made until you have a light buttercream with a pipeable consistency. This will be when it is firm but smooth. It should hold its shape when you run a spoon through it, but still be soft.
9. To assemble the cupcakes, pipe or spoon on the buttercream however you like and add some fresh raspberries and mint leaves for decoration. Of course this is optional, so get creative in how you decorate them! I’d love to see some pictures of your cupcakes so let me know in the comments if you have a go at making them!
